Forum Posts

• deadskunk
  Posted in the topic I need you in the forum Off Topic

  February 3, 2010 3:03 PM PST

  I have several vests/jackets with different patches. My primary vest, the one pictured at the left, has club patches on the back. The top rocker says "Street Legal", the middle patch is an eagle on a bike in front of an American flag and the bottom rocker says "USA". There is a small MC patch to the right of the center patch and a small Minnesota chapter patch to the left of the center patch. You can see it on my page. We do not use a state or region bottom rocker because we are a non-territorial, national, neutral club. The front of the vest has several "I Rode Mine" patches for Sturgis and they are located on several spots on the front. On each breast, there are more club related patches, including "Life Member", "National", "Sgt. At Arms", "Road Lawyer" and "DFWUOWSYA", which means don't f... with us or we'll sue your ass off. My denim vest has the same patches as the leather vest. I wear them both, depending on the weather.
  
  The club is made up primerily of lawyers, judges and others who work in the legal profession. I'm the National Sgt. At Arms. We are not a 1% club, but we occasionally get hassled by the police simply for wearing an MC patch. I have been questioned by cops during traffic stops about any affiliation with gangs. My only affiliation is that I"ve had some gang members as clients (I do criminal defense work), but that has nothing to do with my club membership.
  
  I have other jackets that have charity ride patches, Harley patches, scull patches, Sturgis patches and various pins. I feel naked when I'm out in public without at least one of the jackets or vests on. I also feel naked if I'm on my bike and I don't have one of the vests with the club patches on.
  
• deadskunk
  Posted in the topic Creating a Club in the forum Biker Chat

  January 19, 2010 5:40 AM PST

  Starting your own LEMC is not that big a deal. Some of the advice on this board was good and some was overblown or over simplified. Checking with your local COC (Confederation of Clubs) or Motorcycle Coalition (some states have one and some states have both organizations, depending on the affiliation of the dominant club in your area) will do you no good. The 1% clubs that dominate these organizations will not talk to cops and the cops have no love loss for any MC patch wearers. The MCs will not bother the LEMCs and the LEMCs will not bother the MCs, however, do not wear the LEMC patches when you're alone.
  
  Where I'm from, we have both a Coalition and a Confederation. The last LEMC that came here did not ask for permission. They just started a chapter and informed both organizations of that fact.
  
  The crux of your question, however, had less to do with getting along with other clubs than with the mechanics of setting up the club itself. I would suggest that you speak to a lawyer about it. All MCs and LEMCs are non-profit corporations, charitable organizations or religious organizations (churches) and registered as such with the state and federal authorities. They have articles of incorporation, by laws and tax forms that need to be properly filled out and filed. There are also issues of trademark and copyright registration or infringement if you intentionally or unintentionally copy another groups intellectual property.
  
  You want to make sure that your corporate documents do exactly what you want done. Saying that you don't want too many rules sounds great until you find that the club you started is taken from you because you have no rules to prevent yourself and your fellow club starters from being voted out and the club turning into something that you never wanted.
  
  There are dozens of LEMCs across the country and many of them have websites that have their by laws on them. This can give you a feel for what you may want to consider.